Archbishop Diarmund Martin warns against rush to legalize abortion

The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmund Martin, has said that the decision to legalize abortion cannot be rushed in the wake of Savita Halappanavar's tragic death.

The Irish prelate said that policies regarding the care of women in troubled pregnancies should be carefully examined by medical authorities.

"If there are problems of a medical nature, then the appropriate bodies, including the Medical Council, have given guidance. And if that guidance is insufficient, they should look at it," he said after a meeting in Limerick to discuss Catholic Higher Education in Ireland, according to RTE.

The Archbishop went on to say the the Catholic Church does not require the life of the mother to be sacrificed to save the child and that both lives should be treated with the same dignity.

He also said he though Ireland had been wrongly portrayed as a dangerous place for women to be pregnant.

Archbishop Martin said Ireland's bishops will discuss the expert group report on abortion next week.